Song Meaning
The lyrics to "Knocking wrists" plunge us into a raw, immediate moment of physical intimacy. The speaker notes, "You don't need to look outside to know that its dusk," setting a scene of instinctual connection. There's a casual, almost detached acceptance of the encounter, highlighted by the line, "Knocking wrists is fine." This opening quickly gives way to a fragmented internal monologue.
This initial sensuality sharply contrasts with a deep undercurrent of emotional chaos and self-abandonment. The speaker describes getting "glitter in my eyes" and "pink upon my thighs," vivid sensory details of a wild night, but immediately follows with the striking image of having "minor chords outta me." This juxtaposition reveals a profound internal discord beneath the surface of physical indulgence, further emphasized by the repeated motif of being "so drunk i forgot how to see" and "forgot how to love."
The lyrics then spiral into a series of unsettling memories and current emotional states, revealing a pattern of troubled relationships and emotional numbness. The chilling admission, "Every night i have dreams that i kill him," regarding a past lover named William, suggests deep unresolved trauma or anger. This is followed by a string of emotionally detached connections: being "naked in ben's kitchen" but not missing him, and a fleeting interest in Aaron that "probably doesn't matter" anyway, underscoring a pervasive sense of emotional disengagement.
The song concludes with an abrupt, almost nihilistic observation about parental figures: "your dad's up on some ladder / And my dad's just an actor." This final, seemingly unrelated thought powerfully underscores the speaker's fragmented reality, perhaps hinting at a performative existence or a dismissal of external expectations. The raw, unvarnished honesty throughout these lyrics creates a visceral portrait of a character navigating intense physical experiences while grappling with profound internal disarray.
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